Mayor Greg Stanton to Serve as Honorary Chair of Art Detour Host Committee
PHOENIX – The board of Artlink Inc., the 501(c)(3) nonprofit behind the promotion of Phoenix’s monthly First Fridays Art Walk and the annual Art Detour, held its Annual Meeting last night at Phoenix Center for the Arts.
The Artlink Board is currently led by Interim Co-Presidents Nancy Hill and Catrina Kahler. The audience in attendance, comprised of artists and gallery representatives, heard brief remarks by invited guest Dave Krietor, CEO of the newly formed Downtown Phoenix Inc. Krietor lauded the efforts of the downtown arts community, acknowledging that “the entrepreneurial energy of small business and the arts community creates a heartbeat in downtown.”
Following an approval of minutes and a financial report, Kahler invited the community to consider joining Artlink’s Board of Directors. The annual election is scheduled for the next Board Meeting, on Wednesday, July 24. Those interested in serving were asked to submit a completed board application for consideration. The newly elected will serve a two-year term.
First Fridays. Board member Phil Jones reviewed Artlink’s free First Fridays Trolley Tour. Artlink provides two trolleys for First Friday visitors, which depart from Phoenix Art Museum and circulate through downtown, with a special focus on serving the Roosevelt Row and Grand Avenue Arts Districts.
The City of Phoenix Arts & Culture Commission earlier this year piloted a program where they provided a trolley route that served galleries in the downtown core. That program may return again in the Fall, and that possibility, along with other trolley service requests, will be taken into consideration as new routes are identified for Fall.
Third Fridays. Artlink’s Third Friday Collectors Tour returns in the Fall and, as explained by board member Robert Diehl, will help extend the arts focus of Third Fridays into Saturday after. Starting in September, the bi-monthly, guided and ticketed tour will take place on Saturday afternoon of Third Friday weekends, from 1 to 4 p.m. Tour dates for Fall are Saturday, September 21 and Saturday, November 16.
The Artlink Collectors Tour program brings established and emerging collectors into downtown Phoenix galleries and nurtures opportunities for artists and galleries to connect with new buyers. The tours promote the range and quality of work being created and shown in downtown, and help define Phoenix as a vibrant arts market.
For the Fall season, the galleries featured on the tours will be selected by guest curators from Phoenix Art Museum: Sara Cochran, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Phoenix Art Museum, and Gabriela Munoz, Curatorial Assistant, Modern and Contemporary Art. Click here for more information.
Art Detour. The 26th Annual Art Detour will return on March 8-9, 2014. Art Detour Chair Nancy Hill announced that this year a Host Committee will be formed to actively shape the event to reflect this arts community and what makes it great.
With that announcement, Special guest City of Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton arrived at the meeting and formally agreed to serve as Honorary Chair of the Host Committee. In addressing the audience, he invited all artist entrepreneurs into the “DPI decision-making tent” to help bring more life to downtown. Since he became Mayor, the City’s support of the arts has tripled, and he is committed to bringing that level of support to $1.00 per capita.
Nancy Hill closed her report by inviting the community to join Mayor Stanton as members of the Host Committee. Beatrice Moore, one of the founders of the original Art Detour, cited this year’s Art Detour as the best in many years. Hill acknowledged the “bones” of the event will remain, but with input from an active Host Committee the event can become even stronger.
Financial Outlook. The Artlink board is continually striving to serve the community while developing sustainable revenue. Board Secretary Jill Bernstein stated Art Detour is once again receiving financial support through a grant from the City of Phoenix’s Office of Arts and Culture. A grant application was also submitted to Arizona Commission on the Arts.
Kahler spoke to Artlink’s plans to announce a new structure of support, highlighting a new Articipant category for members of the arts community, including both artists and galleries. For a one-time fee, Articipants will be promoted as a part of the annual Art Detour and be highlighted in other Artlink promotion outlets, which currently includes social media, artlinkphoenix.org and newsletters.
Those interested in volunteering are encouraged to email info@artlinkphoenix.org.
Moving Forward. Board member Laura Dragon spoke to the development of the Phoenix Gallery Coalition, a group designed to develop collaborative marketing efforts for downtown galleries. Artlink has agreed to act as fiscal agent for the group.
Artlink is exploring opportunities to develop a video library of mini-documentaries on downtown artists, reported board member Hugo Medina. Valley Hype has expressed a desire to partner with Artlink on the project.
The A.E. England Gallery at Civic Space Park is operated by Artlink and recently hosted the 15th Annual Juried Exhibition. The pieces shown in this exhibition were selected by a panel of three jurors from the Arizona arts community: Arizona State University Art Museum Curator, Gordon Knox; Phoenix artist, Angela Ellsworth; and critic and curator of R. Pela Gallery, Robrt Pela. The three winners were Elizabeth Katz, Maggie Keane and Rossitza Todorova. The effort was led by Artlink volunteer Sally Russell, with support from Artlink board member and Past President Mike Oleskow.
About Artlink. Artlink, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to linking artists, business and the public to better understand, appreciate and support a thriving arts community in downtown Phoenix. Artlink supports a variety of community-based art events happening throughout the year and also operates the A.E. England Gallery, which is committed to showcasing the talents of new and emerging local artists. Ongoing community projects include, support of the First Fridays Art Walk, the country’s largest self-guided gallery tour; Third Fridays Collectors Tour; an annual Juried Exhibition; and the annual Art Detour self-guided tour, featuring open studios, pop-up galleries, family-friendly art experiences and more. Artlink’s year-round activities are supported by Phoenix Art Museum, Dunn Transportation, Snell & Wilmer, City of Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture, Arizona Commission on the Arts, Phoenix Community Alliance, The Torosian Foundation, Downtown Voices Coalition, Grand Avenue Merchants Association, Roosevelt Row CDC, Phoenix Center for the Arts, Obliq Art, 6th Avenue Gallery, Urban Affair and Invexi Web Development. For more information, visit artlinkphoenix.org.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 27, 2013
Media Contacts:
Catrina Kahler, catrina@artlinkphoenix.org, 602-579-2988
Jill Bernstein, jillbcreative@gmail.com, 602-358-9292
